Family member
by merlucasworld
Summary: (A few weeks after Meredith told her kids about Andrew...) Andrew is slowly (or not so slowly) but surely getting more involved in the family.
1. Chapter 1

This story is a bit different from the others I wrote. While the other ones were sequels or additions to individual episodes, this is a fictional story.

Also, as always, English isn't my native language, but I'm always open for suggestions.

For further notes, see at the end.

* * *

This story takes place around 2 or 3 weeks after the events of 15x22, when Meredith told her kids about Andrew (Now he has already spent some time with her kids)

* * *

_She won't die. She is fine. It is just her arm. Nothing bad happend. It was just… She won't …. She…_ Meredith thoughts turned faster and faster. She couldn't think clear anymore. Her breathing became heavier.

At some point she felt a hand on her shoulder but she couldn't move. She was still trying to get control over her thoughts and breathing again.

_Earlier that day_

„Hey, you paged" Andrew answered.

„Yes, I need your help. Zola was brought to the hospital. She fell from a climbing wall on the playground. The Nanny couldn't reach Mer. I need to find her and I need you to take care of Zola. She already knows you. Please take her to CT, she has a laceration on her forehead. It doesn't look serious, but I don't want to risk anything. And then take care of her arm. It might be broken. I already paged Dr. Link" Alex told him in a hurry, while he was already trying to find out where Meredith could be.

_A few hours later_

(Meredith sat in a chair next to her daughter's hospital bed, her head in her hands. Zola was sleeping.)

„Hey" Andrew put his hand on Meredith's shoulder. But she didn't respond. He squeezed her shoulder and tried again, this time a little louder. But he still didn't get a reaction. Then he carefully tried to raise her head so he could look at her. That was, when he realized the tears rolling down her cheeks. He also noticed her heavy breathing.

„Mer. Meredith... Zola is fine. She just broke her arm. She has a slight concussion. That's why she has to spend the night here. But besides that she is fine. Zola is fine. Do you hear me?" He wasn't sure if Meredith could hear him, so he repeated it.

Meredith finally nodded and began to calm down a bit.

Andrew took a chair and sat down next to Meredith. He put his arm around her and pulled her into a hug. She rested her head on his shoulder and was just thankful for his company. They sat there in silence for a while.

.

Until Meredith suddenly frantically jumped up from her chair. „I have to check if Bailey and Ellis are okay. I need to go home."

Andrew was confused, why shouldn't they be... „Why? Amelia is with them. They are fine!"

„Right… But can you check, if they are really safe?" Meredith breathing was getting faster again.

„Yes I will, I willl call Amelia and check in with her" He assured her in a calm voice, hoping this would have an effect on her.

But Meredith didn't answer and her breathing didn't normalize either. Andrew walked over to Meredith, who was now standing a few steps away from her chair, and touched her shoulder again. He hoped that this would somehow calm her down.

„Mer. I will go and check on your kids myself, alright. You can stay with Zola. And I'll see how Bailey and Ellis are doing." Meredith wasn't able to say something so she just nodded thankfully.

Andrew texted Alex, before leaving to check on Meredith's kids.

„Do you have time. I am with Meredith, she panicked. She wants me to check on Bailey and Ellis, but I don't want to leave her alone like that. Could you stay with her."

The response came quickly „I'm on my way"

_An hour later_

(Alex has successfully managed to calm Meredith down. They sat in Zola's room.)

Andrew came in with Ellis on his right arm and Bailey on his left hand. „Look, there are your Mommy and Zola, but you have to be quiet because Zola is sleeping. Promised?"

„Promised!" both answered and ran over to Meredith.

Finally a smile appeared on her face. She hugged both of them at the same time. Maybe a little longer than necessary. But she couldn't help it. She was just glad to have all her kids around her, …to see that they were fine.

„Mommy?" A sleepy voice interrupted the hug. Zola woke up.

„Yeah, I'm here sweetheart. It's alright. How do you feel"

„My head hurts a bit" Zola answered.

„It's alright, sweetie"

(Alex got paged)

„I have to leave, there are patients waiting for me" Alex said as he was on his way to leave the room.

„Thank you" Meredith responded.

„Always" Alex smiled at her and finally left.

„I will give you some time alone" Andrew was about to leave the room, too, when Meredith stopped him.

„Don't. I would like you to stay" Meredith gave him a sign with her hand, what meant as much as come over here and sit down.

„Then I will stay. I'll just get another bed so Bailey and Ellis don't have to sit on the flor" he replied with a soft smile.

_A few minutes later_

(Ellis and Bailey sat on the second bed. Ellis was distracted with her toys, which Andrew brought along so the kids had something to play with and didn't get bored. Bailey and Zola were watching TV.)

„Thank You" Meredith whispered more than she said. She grabbed Andrew's hand and turned her head to look at him.

He looked into her eyes and squeezed her hand.

He wanted to lay his other arm around her shoulders, but wasn't really sure if he was allowed to, because of their rules. Earlier this day he did the same, but the situation was different. Meredith panicked and he had to calm her down….

Then he finally decided that they weren't really at work right now. Right now she was the mother of her children. So he continued and Meredith just went along and rested her head on his shoulder again.

After a short moment in silence she added „I am sorry"

She felt a bit sorry for how she panicked earlier and that she send him to check on Ellis and Bailey. She knew he had a job to do. But he went to check on her kids anyway. He even brought them here so she could reassure herself, that they were fine. She felt the need to apologize and thank him for that.

„Don't be. You don't have to apologize to be worried about your children" he answered with a reassuring smile.

„I know but I overreacted. And I know you were at work and I made you go to check on my children anyway. I am sorry."

„Hey, if I didn't want to check on your children, I wouldn't have done it. But I want to be there for you and for them."

Meredith had to smile.

.

„So do you want to tell me, what made you panic?"

* * *

So this one had some time jumps, I hope it was understandable. If it wasn't please let me know. Then I will try to fill the gaps.

(I'm not very familiar with panic attacks so please excuse me if something wasn't quite realistic. The same applies for medical terms.)

I don't know jet how many chapters I'll write. There will definetly be a second part and probably a third one. But beyond that, I don't know yet.

And let me know if you have any suggestions. :)


	2. Chapter 2

(Short summary: Zola broke her arm. As a result, Meredith panicked. Andrew and Meredith are still sitting in Zola's hospital room.)

* * *

„So, do you want to tell me, why you panicked?" he tried carefully. He wasn't sure if it was the right time to ask, but he wanted to know what made her panic, he wanted to be able to prevent it from happening next time or at least to notice sooner so he can be there for her. He also did not want her to feel bad for this. He knew she has been through a lot; she has lost many people close to her. So, she was allowed to panic, especially when it was about her kids. It was the time she had the panic attack what made him curious. It was after they told her, that her daughter was fine. She was very anxious before the diagnosis, but more like a mother who didn't knew what was going on with her child. But when he found her in the chair next to Zola worried, in tears and not able to control her breathing, at this point they had already told her that Zola was okay.

He added „You don't have to tell me if you don't want to" he did not want to push or corner her.

Meredith wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about it right now. On the other side, she wanted him to know, he was a part of her life now, and she wanted to let him in and open up about this to him, but at this moment she just preferred to enjoy his company without talking. „I'll tell you, but right now I just don't want to talk about it"

That was all he hoped for. A few weeks back they made an agreement, that both of them, whenever they need time or don't want to talk about something they will let the other one know. And when the time comes, they will talk. He held her tight and squeezed her arm while looking at her. Then he whispered „Alright"

.

_Three days later _

(Zola was discharged from the hospital two days ago. Besides her broken arm, she acted like nothing happened. Meredith took two days off, to be there for her. Andrew had a lot to work the last few days, but after his shift he came over and cooked for Meredith and the children.)

This evening he made pizza for the whole family. After dinner they brought her kids to bed and he had to tell them a story from his hometown in Italy, before they fell asleep.

When they were back downstairs in the kitchen, Meredith poured herself a glass of wine. Then she offered one to Andrew. He thankfully accepted. She handed him his glass when she began to talk „So, do you still want to know what was going on three days ago"

Andrew was surprised that Meredith started that conversation on her own. „Yes, if you are ready to talk about it"

„I think I am, but you can't judge me."

Andrew put his glass away so he had his hands free to place one of them on her neck and the other one on her head. „You know that I won't judge. Whatever it was, you can tell me"

Meredith loved it, when Andrew just focused on her, when he gently held her head to make sure that she knew that she had his whole attention. And it made her feel comfortable „I know. It's just…it didn't really happen anything. It was just a little too much that day"

„Come, let's go to the living room" Andrew suggested.

.

Meredith sat down on the couch and gave Andrew a sign to sit next to her then she took another sip of her wine before putting it aside.

„That day, Zola broke her arm. I was in surgery. That was why the Nanny couldn't reach me. The surgery took longer than expected. There were complications. In the end there was nothing I could do for him. And then Alex came and told me about Zola… I was worried, but I had people around me who looked after me and kept me busy talking to me. But when they left and I was alone in that room with Zozo… All the thoughts I had held back the previous hours came back to my mind_. What if Zola had died like my patient? What would I do without her? What if something happens to my children?_ I knew she was fine, but I have lost so many people and just the thought of loosing one of my kids… it was too much that day. I know I overreacted and I shouldn't have made you leave to get my kids…"

Andrew was surprised how much she shared of her feelings and thoughts. He knew they had agreed to let the other one know more about what was going on, but it was still Meredith who usually didn't want to talk about these things.

It took him a second to respond to all of this, one second too long, because before he was able to, Meredith already continued „And I have to thank you again. I know you don't have much time during residency, and you went to get my kids for me anyway. Also you managed to cook for us in the evening… And…"

Andrew tried to use her short break to say something. Because he wasn't sure if she would stop soon. „Mer, you worrying about your children just shows that you are a good mother and with all you have been through you are allowed to overreact" He softly smiled at her before he continued „And you don't have to thank me. I did it because I want to be here with you."

„I…" She paused „I just want to thank you, I want you to know that I really appreciate this… And…"

He managed to interrupt her again. He felt a bit sorry for that, but he had the feeling that if he let her continue he would probably not be able to say something. Also he was curious why she had the need to talk so much tonight. Not that he didn't want her to, it was just very unusual for her to talk that much. „You really do talk a lot tonight. Not that I mind. But is everything alright?"

„Yes" she had to smile. It was amazing how well Andrew knew her. Yes, they were dating for month, but he always knew what to say or to do to make her feel better. Or in this situation, to notice if something was different.

„Yes, I just had a lot of time to think about how to tell you what happened a few days ago… I…" she paused. „You are becoming a part of this family and I want you to, but you need to know that certain things and situations are dealt with differently in this one. It's..."

„Hey, Mer…" He said softly „If different means, that you are worried about your kids, that you handle situations your way and that I have to figure this out, than this is exactly what I want to do. I know your children are your first priority and I know you have your own way of getting through certain situations, but I choose to be with you and I want to be with you." „Don't worry about me" he added in a whisper.

Meredith had to smile. She was just happy to have him. She couldn't believe how lucky she was that she found someone who could make her feel so comfortable and happy again.

* * *

I'm already writing the third part. (It'll probably have some Merlex in it and I'm also planning on writing some interactions between Zola and Andrew, but I'm not completly sure how I want to do this. We'll see...)

As always, suggestions are welcome :)


	3. Chapter 3

I actually think, you can understand this chapter without the previous ones, but I'll write the summaries anyway :)

(short summary chapter 1: Zola broke her arm, as a result Meredith panicked; chapter 2: Meredith opened up about her panic attack)

* * *

_Next morning_

(Meredith and Andrew fell asleep on the couch last night.)

Andrew noticed someone standing next to him. He opened his eyes and looked into three questioning faces.

"Mommy said, you wouldn't sleep on the couch anymore." Ellis mentioned as she grabbed his arm and tried to pull him off the couch.

Andrew had to smile, it was obvious that Ellis wasn't strong enough to pull an adult off a couch, but he wanted her to believe she could, so he played along and was slowly moving to the ground. Zola and Bailey both started laughing at the scenario in front of them.

When he was finally completely on the carpet in front of the couch, he got up and patted Ellis on the shoulder saying "You are very strong"

Ellis believed him and a big smile appeared on her face.

"How's your arm?" Andrew asked Zola after he turned back to her and Bailey.

"I can't sleep on my left side, but otherwise I'm fine…Why aren't you in Mommy's room?" Zola was curious.

"We were up very late last night and I think we fell asleep here" Andrew answered, then he added "Do you need something from your mom?"

"No, I think we should let her sleep then" Zola suggested smiling.

"Okay then let's go to the kitchen. I'll make you something for breakfast." Andrew stated.

"Can you carry me on your shoulder's? It's so funny to be so high up. One day, I want to fly in a plane. Then I can see the whole world." Bailey asked excitedly.

"Of course" Andrew helped Bailey to get on his shoulders and then followed Ellis and Zola into the kitchen. When he stood in front of the kitchen island he dropped Bailey there. Then he added in a whisper "Don't tell your mom, you were up here"

He saw that Zola was already busy setting the table so he asked "What do you want to eat?"

"Cereal" all the kids answered. Andrew knew the question was unnecessary, but he wanted to be sure. He got the cereal and the milk and then sat down at the table with the kids.

While Andrew helped Ellis to give milk to her cereal, Zola ascertained "Can we go to the ice cream parlor at the weekend?"

"I know something better, we can make homemade ice cream" He answered, looking in three very happy faces.

"Can we make chocolate and strawberry ice cream?" Zola inquired excited.

"Yes, we can" Andrew answered then he looked at the clock and realized that the time passed very quickly. "I need to wake your Mommy now, so she won't be late for work. Can you get ready for school? I'll drive you."

"Okay" Zola answered and took Ellis and Bailey upstairs with her.

He stood up to make himself a coffee, before he was going to wake Meredith up. He got lost in his thoughts for a moment. He felt lucky that the kids had accepted him so quickly, that he was able to spent so much time with them and Meredith. He was happy about every single moment with all of them.

He finished his coffee and went over to Meredith, who was still sleeping on the couch.

.

"Hey"

Meredith wasn't sure if she was dreaming or if someone was actually talking to her.

"Mer… Good Morning. You really need to stand up. It's already very late"

Now she was sure, she wasn't dreaming. She almost jumped off the couch, that was when she realized they had fallen asleep there last night.

"What time is it?" She asked hastily.

"Don't panic. Your kids already had breakfast and are almost ready to go. They are really independent... I'm going to bring them to school and daycare, so you have enough time to get ready for work"

"You won't be able to get your coffee, before your shift starts"

"Really Mer, the coffee, I already had one, you have a coffee machine, remember?" Andrew teased her and had to smile by the confused look on Meredith face. He knew she just got up and wasn't really awake yet, but he loved it when she was confused, even if it was only for a moment. She was usually a person who wanted to know what was going on and she definitely didn't like it when things were out of her control.

She knew Andrew enjoyed her confusion, normally she would pretend she wasn't, but he had done so much for her lately so she just let him have this brief moment.

.

Andrew was about to leave the house to bring the kids away when Meredith stopped him "Wait…"

"What?" he turned to her.

"Thank you" She whispered and then kissed him goodbye. It was a short kiss, but she couldn't wait with this till the evening.

.

_At the hospital_

Andrew was on Alex's service. They were standing in the hallway, when Meredith entered the hospital. On her way there she stopped by at Andrew's favorite coffee stand.

She walked over to them and handed Andrew the coffee "Hey"

"Didn't I tell you that I already had one this morning?" He responded, but was actually very happy about the coffee.

"I know you like this one much better than the one from my very old coffee machine" she said with a big grin on her face.

"You just know me too well" he smiled at her as he left, giving her a sign that he had to go.

"So, you still have the coffee machine, that noone ever liked? And what do I have to do to get a coffee?" Alex teased her.

"Yes, I have. He brought the kids to school and daycare. How is Jo?"

"Better I think. You know I can bring them to school and daycare, too"

"You really want that coffee, huh?"

"I could really need it. So are you two living together?"

"I don't know. Not officially, but it feels like we are. He spent the last two weeks at my place and the kids even managed to persuade him to tell them a story about Italy every evening… I somehow wonder how many stories he can tell them, I mean, it is his hometown, but he came here when he was 5. I don't have that many memories of this time."

"Or you don't want to remember that time? You know what parents can do to us…"

"So Jo isn't fine?"

"I'm not sure. We talk again but it feels different."

"You have to give her time. She can't just continue with her life like nothing happened. And you know that. She'll come to you!"

"I know" He sighed.

* * *

Originally I planned to write some interaction between Andrew and only Zola, but then I decided to write something with all the children.

Also, maybe you noticed, besides MerLuca I realy like the Merlex friendship, that's why I wrote a bit about them. We'll see where this leads us... :)

Next chapter will probably come later in the evening. I already wrote it, I just have to change some things.


	4. Chapter 4

I think, you can understand this chapter without the previous ones, but I'll write the summaries anyway :)

(short summary chapter 1: Zola broke her arm, as a result Meredith panicked; chapter2: Meredith opened up about her panic attack; chapter 3: Andrew made breakfast for the kids, (some Merlex))

* * *

_In the Evening_

(Kids are in bed and Andrew told them a story again)

"How many stories can you tell them before you have to repeat them?"

"Is that really a question that concerns you?" He was slowly moving towards her, until he was just centimeters away. Then he leaned down to kiss her.

She knew he was teasing her and she could live with not knowing the answer at the moment. But she really was curious and also, she loved listening to his stories.

She softly placed her arm around his neck and kissed him back. Then she whispered, "But you still owe me an answer" before she leaned in for another kiss.

...

_Later this evening_

Meredith laid next to Andrew, he had his arm around her, gently holding her like he didn't want her to go anywhere. They were almost asleep, when Meredith heard someone knocking on the door.

"Mommy, uncle Alex is downstairs" Zola stated.

"What is he doing here? And why are you up again? Nights are for sleeping, sweetie." Meredith whispered; she wasn't sure if Andrew was already asleep and she didn't want to wake him up. But it was already too late for that. Andrew looked at her sleepily.

"I don't know what he wants and I was thirsty." Zola answered.

Meredith sighed "Okay, sweetie. Just go back to sleep, we will talk about this in the morning. And I'll check on Alex."

Then she turned her head to Andrew "I have to go and check on him, but you can go back to sleep"

"Alright" Andrew was too confused and tiered to say something else.

Meredith gave him a smile before she went to her bathroom to get her bathrobe and then downstairs to see why Alex came to her house.

.

"What are you doing here?" Meredith asked sleepily as she motioned him to follow her into the kitchen. She took two glasses out of the cupboard and went to the refrigerator to get some water.

"So what's going on?" She asked again, because he still hasn't answered.

"I just needed some company"

"In the middle of the night?"

"It's not the middle of the night. It's 11 p.m.. I didn't know you were already sleeping."

"Well, I appreciate all the sleep I can get. And I had not slept yet if I had slept, I wouldn't be here… But do you want to tell me what really happened, because Jo is at your place, so theoretically you have company there."

"I know. It's just... I know I have to give her time. And I know it's hard for her. But it is a difficult time for me, too. It's hard to see her suffer every day and not be able to help."

"She'll talk to you, when she is ready."

"I know. And she has every right to need time. I'm just saying that it isn't easy for me. I see that she is desperate and depressed… and I'm not able to do anything. I love her. I want to help her... We help people every day. And the one person I really want to help... I can't help her."

"Alex, she will come to you at some point. But for now she needs you just to be there and not to pressure her." Meredith really hoped that Alex and Jo could work through this, she could see how exhausted and helpless he looked.

"You can stay, if you want" She added, because she wasn't sure if he was in a good shape to drive home.

"Thank you. Do you have something to eat?"

"Are you hungry?" Meredith was confused.

"Yes, I didn't have dinner"

"Well then, you are lucky, Andrew made pasta. We have some leftovers" She went to the refrigerator to get the pasta for Alex.

"I will go to bed. I really need my sleep, but you know your way around here, so stay if you don't feel like going home." She smiled at him and then left to get back to sleep.

.

"What did he want?" Andrew asked when Meredith sneaked back into bed.

"I'll tell you in the morning" Meredith tried to keep the conversation short, because she really wanted to get some sleep.

She laid down again, giving him one last kiss, before she closed her eyes. He laid his Arm around her and started to caress her shoulder.

.

_Next morning_

"Hey" Meredith turned herself so she could look at Andrew before she kissed him softly.

"Do we have to get up?" He asked more asleep then awake.

"No, we still have some time"

"So, do you want to tell me, what Alex was doing here last night? You still owe me that story"

"I owe you? I think you mean, you still owe me an answer to my question about your hometown memories" she teased him.

Then she added "Alex has a hard time not knowing how to help Jo, he needed some company so, I offered him to stay"

"So he is still here?" Andrew was confused.

"I don't know. He said he was hungry. I gave him something to eat. Then I offered him to stay in case he didn't feel like going home. And I went back to bed, because I was really tired." She explained to Andrew, whose confusion changed into a smile.

"I noticed, you fell asleep 10 seconds after you laid down again"

Before Meredith could answer, Alex knocked on the door. He didn't wait for an answer, but came straight into the room. "I have to go. Thank you, Mer. And the Pasta was delicious, Deluca"

"Alex" Meredith yelled and then started to laugh.

"I'll leave you alone now. See you at work" He said smiling as he left the room.

Meredith couldn't help but laugh about this situation. For her it was fine that Alex came in or at least a lot less awkward then it was for Andrew. He was her person and she was his, so when they needed each other they were there for each other. But she figured that it must seem a bit strange to Andrew.

When she had her laughing under control again she tried to explain the situation to a confused Andrew. "I think I have some explaining to do…" She smiled at him. "Okay, Alex is my best friend so… In the past, whenever I needed some company I could go to him and he was there for me… " she paused before she continued "And one time it might have happened that I kicked Jo out of his bed, so I could talk to him… I think that was his revanche… I kind of feel sorry for Jo now"

"Well, then I'm glad he didn't kick me out of your bed" he said in a teasing way. Andrew knew that Meredith and Alex were close friends. And for whatever reason he never felt threatened by him. But he preferred Alex not being in their bedroom.

After looking at his watch he added smiling "But I think we should get up anyway."

* * *

Okay, this one was mostly about Merlex, I'm sorry :) (But I had this thought and I wanted to write it... I love Jo and I can only imagine what she is going through (I think that only people who suffer from depressions themselves can really understand what she is going through, that's why I would never judge her!), but I think that it is also very difficult for the poeple around her, the people who care about her... It can be very hard to see people suffer and not be able to help!)

* * *

The next one will have more MerLuca. I hope I manage to write it until Sunday, but I have to start studying again, that means I have less time to write. But I'll try to post (at least) once a week...

And, as always, your suggestions and opinions are welcome :)


	5. Chapter 5

First of all, thanks for your comments and suggestions, I really appreciate them :)

(Short summary chapter 1: Zola broke her arm, as a result Meredith panicked; chapter 2: Meredith opened up about her panic attack; chapter 3: Andrew and the kids, Merlex; chapter 4: Mostly Merlex)

In the previous chapters it was mentioned that Andrew told the children about Italy before they had to go to bed. Meredith also asked him a few times about the memories of his hometown...

* * *

(Meredith, Andrew and the kids are in the living room watching a movie.)

Meredith and Andrew sat on the couch. The kids preferred to stay in front of it, where they made themselves comfortable with their blankets and pillows.

"Elle-Belle shall I bring you to bed, you look very tired" Meredith asked after Ellis rubbed her eyes and yawned multiple times. She knew that Ellis would fall asleep in the next few minutes, but she also knew that her daughter wanted to be a big girl and watch the movie till the end. So, she could have imagined that her answer would be no. However, she liked to give her the option.

"No" Ellis answered as expected then she added "but I want to sit on the sofa"

"Okay, sweetie, come up here" She picked her up and set her on the sofa next to her. Not even 5 minutes later Ellis fell asleep. She had snuggled up to Meredith.

Andrew smiled at Meredith, he liked to observe her with her kids. He was glad to be there right now, sitting on the couch with her and her youngest daughter and the two others in front of them, watching a movie together.

"What?" Meredith asked as she noticed Andrew smiling at her.

"I'm just glad to be here"

…

"Okay, kids, the film is over, now it's time for bed" Meredith tried to motivate her kids to go upstairs, but she knew that it needed more to really convince them to go to bed.

"But we are not tired Mommy" Zola and Bailey answered, then Zola turned her head to Andrew and added "Can you tell us another story about Italy?"

Andrew looked at Meredith because he wasn't sure if it was okay for him to tell them another story. It was already late and they had to go to school tomorrow.

Meredith nodded reassuringly in Andrew's direction and then said "But on one condition only, you both go to bed without hesitation when Andrew has finished ?"

"Yes"

"Okay, then I will start. I think you'll like this one…" he began looking into two happy and excited faces.

"You always say that" Meredith interjected, with a wide grin.

"That's true, but I think especially Zola will like this one. The story is about how I broke my arm when I was eight years old... My mother and I flew back to Italy during the summer break. We were there for 3 weeks. The second week, we went to the Colosseum. Do you know what the Colosseum is?"

"It is an old building" Bailey tried to describe it, then Zola added "It's in Rome, I once saw a picture of it."

"That's right" Andrew had to smile, he knew that the Colosseum was much more then an old building, but he was a little impressed, that both knew the Colosseum. When he was their age, he barely knew any landmarks outside his home country.

"So, I have been there before, because I grew up in Rome, but this time we were there with some friends. And I think you know what happens when your mother has friends over… They _always_ talk…" He emphasized the always. He knew that almost every child felt the same way about this.

"That's true" they answered immediately and started to giggle.

Meredith rolled her eyes but also had to smile.

"I see that we agree on that one…" he smiled at them "So, you can imagine I was really bored by all the talking, taking pictures and waiting... When we finished our tour, we had to wait again, this time for our friends. And that was when I decided to make this a little more fun. At least, I thought it would be fun. I climbed over the barriers, which were standing at the entrance and exit of the Colosseum. But it was a temporary barrier made of metal bars. So, can you imagine what happened?

"You fell down?" Bailey asked curious.

"Almost right, I fell down with the barrier"

"That's funny" Bailey said, what made Zola laugh.

"I don't know if funny is the right description, Bailey" Meredith added.

"It was actually funny. Not at this moment, at least not for me. But now, when I think back to that day... I think it was funny too. But the best part was, that I was allowed to eat ice cream _every day_ during the last week we were there. And in Rome, there is _the best_ ice cream you can get." Andrew finished his story looking in two happy faces.

"Can you tell us a story tomorrow, again?" Zola inquired excited.

"I think we can set that up" Andrew replied and nodded reassuringly.

…

"Can you make it to bed by yourself?" Meredith asked her kids, before she added "I would like to stay down here a little longer, besides I don't want to wake Ellis yet."

"Yes, we are big enough" Bailey answered proud.

"Good night you two, I'll come and check on you later and don't forget to brush your teeth" she gave both her kids a kiss to their foreheads.

"Good night, Andrew" Bailey and Zola said before they left the living room.

"Good night you two"

Now it was Meredith who was just sitting there, with a big smile on her face, starring at Andrew. She was glad that the kids accepted him so fast. And that he accepted her kids, that he was patient with them, listening to their stories and telling them his stories. And on top of that she never had the feeling that he didn't want to do it.

"Thank you" Meredith started.

"What for?"

"For this evening, watching the film with us... You are so good with them and patient. I don't know why, but they love listening to your stories." She couldn't stop smiling at him. "...and me too" she added after a short moment.

"Don't thank me for that. I love spending time with you and your kids. And when I tell these stories, good memories are evoked, so, I'm glad to share them."

"A broken arm is a good memory?" She raised an eyebrow, but was still smiling at him.

"Well, not the broken arm itself. But I loved these vacations. I could see my father and my sister. Also I could spend a lot of time with my mother. And believe it or not, but it was actually very peaceful, when we were in Italy. My parents tried to stay out of each other's way... so they didn't fight. And I was able to see my family and friends and I did not have to speak English. I hated it back then, I wasn't good at it and in the States there was always this pressure to speak English, especially in school. So, yes, even the day I broke my arm, is a good memory."

Meredith took his hand as she said looking in his eyes "I'm glad you still decided to stay in the States"

"Me, too" he leaned towards her to kiss her gently trying not to wake Ellis, who was still leaning against Meredith holding her arm.

* * *

As always, I would love to hear your opinions and suggestions. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Again, thanks for your comments :)

(Short summary chapter 1: Zola broke her arm, as a result Meredith panicked; chapter 2: Meredith opened up about her panic attack; chapter 3: Andrew and the kids, Merlex; chapter 4: Mostly Merlex; chapter 5: Andrew told the kids a story)

* * *

_He hesitates. Does he really want to go in there, does he really want to see his dad? Eventually he decides to go in. Apart from the soft squeak of the door it was completely silent. He turns on the lights as he enters the room. That's the moment he sees his father lying on the floor…_

Andrew almost jumped out of bed. He was afraid. He took a deep breath before realizing that it was just a bad dream. Once again. He had the dream more often lately. He tried to calm himself down so he wouldn't wake Meredith, but it was too late for that.

"What happened?" She asked sleepily but also a bit concerned after she noticed his sudden movements.

"Nothing… I just had a bad dream. I'm sorry I woke you!" He looked at her trying to convince her that everything was alright. Trying to pretend it was just _one _bad dream. It wasn't. But he did not want to worry her.

"What was it about?" Meredith tried.

"I'm not sure. Probably nothing."

Meredith could see that he was hiding something. She could see that there was more to this story. She wondered if she should ask him again, but decided not to push him. To give him time. She hoped he would come on his own. Instead, she smiled softly at him.

He was glad that Meredith didn't push him further, he laid down again, whispering "Let's go back to sleep, we still have a few hours left"

_Next day at the hospital_

Andrew stood at the nurse's station updating some charts. He didn't feel well, he was tired, he couldn't sleep after waking up last night and it wasn't the first time. He had problems sleeping recently. That's why he decided to do paperwork instead of surgeries. He tried to avoid patient contact or at least as good as possible. In two hours, he had a surgery with Meredith. It was scheduled a few days ago and he didn't want to quit this short before. Usually he loved working on her service, but today he couldn't concentrate for more then 5 minutes, the lack of sleep really hit him. He knew that Meredith definitely could not use this in the OR. After finishing the charts, he decided to get some rest before the surgery, hoping this would help somehow.

_2 hours later_

"Dr. Grey, do you have a minute" Andrew asked when he finally spotted Meredith in the hallway talking with a nurse.

"I thought you were already prepping the…" Meredith paused as she looked up at him and noticed how exhausted Andrew looked. "What happened?" she asked indicating him to follow her into the conference room next to them. She closed the door behind them.

"I think I shouldn't scrub in with you today, I'm not feeling well." The sleep didn't help. Better said, he couldn't sleep. He laid in the on-call room trying to get some rest. Hopelessly. And when he stood up and almost fell again, because he was so dizzy... At that moment, he decided to let Meredith know that it wasn't the best idea for him to scrub in with her today.

"I can see that. What happened?" She tried again. He still hasn't answered her. She was a bit surprised and concerned... Andrew never missed a chance to scrub in with her, so, something was definitely wrong.

"I'm not really sure. I can't sleep even though I am tired. I tried to get some rest before the surgery, but I couldn't…"

"You couldn't... what?" Meredith asked worried. At this moment she got paged "I have to go." Andrew nodded reassuring before Meredith continued "We'll talk later. And you go home and try to get some rest." She took his hand and squeezed it before she was on her way to her patient. She felt sorry to leave him like this. She knew something wasn't right. It broke her heart a little to see him so exhausted and tired even a bit sad and confused. For a moment she thought about turning around and going back to him. But then her pager went off again. She decided to go to her patient and check on Andrew as soon as she was done.

* * *

I know this one was really short, but it's more like a setup for the next ones. I think I'll update the following chapter the next few days. At the latest on Wednesday.


	7. Chapter 7

(Short summary chapter 1: Zola broke her arm, as a result Meredith panicked; chapter 2: Meredith opened up about her panic attack; chapter 3: Andrew and the kids, Merlex; chapter 4: Mostly Merlex; chapter 5: Andrew told the kids a story; chapter 6: Andrew didn't feel well)

* * *

_After Meredith came out of the OR_

"Alex what is? I want to go home" Meredith was confused when she saw Alex waiting for her.

"Mer… I need to talk to you"

"Just say it!"

"Mer. It's Andrew… He is fine now" Alex added fast, he knew that Meredith had lost many people, he didn't want to scare her any more than he had to.

"What happened?" Her voice broke. And suddenly she was thinking about all the things that could have happened after she sent him home. _ What if he was in an accident? He wasn't in a good shape when she left him. She should not have left him alone._

"Meredith." Alex pulled her out of her thoughts "Mer… he is fine for now. Do you hear me?... He passed out on his way out. Carina found him in the parking lot. We don't know why yet. But for now, he is fine. I'll bring you to him okay?"

Meredith just nodded. She wasn't able to speak. She felt how tears were filling her eyes. She tried to hold them back. To calm herself down. _Alex just told her that he was okay_. She did not have to worry about him, but she couldn't stop. A tear started rolling down her cheek.

"Mer… we'll figure out what happened." Alex assured her as he wiped away her tears. Then he added, smiling slightly. "He is in here. He is asleep, but I think he'll be happy to see you when he wakes up…"

"Thank you"

_In Andrew's room_

Meredith walked over to sit on the chair next to him. Somehow it calmed her, to see him in this bed, even when he was sleeping. It assured her that he was still alive. She knew that she was overreacting. Again. But Andrew became a very important part of her live. And she didn't want to lose him. She took one of his hands and squeezed it. To show him she was there, but when she was honest, she did it mostly for herself.

She was so focused on Andrew that she didn't notice someone came into the room.

"Hi" Carina greeted Meredith then she added "I'll come back later".

"You can stay if you want to" Meredith didn't really know how to react. The two of them were not very close. After things went bad with their dad Carina went back to Italy for a few weeks, so they never really had the chance to talk. But she was Andrew's sister and they were close, so she should be here when he wakes up.

"Do you know what happened?" Carina was curious.

"Not really. He seemed a bit distracted today…" Meredith tried to keeep herself together.

"Why?"

"I don't know. I first realized that he was a bit absent when we stood up and this afternoon he told me that he didn't want to scrub in with me because he didn't feel well. So, I sent him home to get some rest"

"You are living together!?"

"Maybe" Meredith was confused by Carina's question, she felt like she was in an interrogation."He spends a lot of time at my place… I can't leave the kids alone all night" She tried to clarify her 'maybe'.

Carina raised an eyebrow walking over to the other side of Andrew's bed before she continued "So, you don't know what was going on?"

"No, I didn't have a chance to talk to him" Suddenly the tears were filling her eyes again. She felt a knot forming in her throat. She tried to keep the tears back from falling out, but Carina noticed it anyway.

"Everything alright, Meredith?" she asked. At this moment Andrew woke up.

"What happened?" he asked full of confusion and still a little sleepily.

"You passed out on your way to the car" Carina let him know, but Andrew's attention was already on Meredith.

"Hey, Mer." He noticed the tears in Meredith eyes. It broke him his heart to see her worried like this. That he was the reason. He wanted to show her that he was fine (now). He laid his hand on her shoulder pulling her closer to him. His other hand was still firmly held by Meredith. She let her head sink on his chest. In this moment she didn't care that they were at the hospital and that his sister was in the room. She needed this. She knew that it should be the other way around, she should be there for him. He shouldn't be the one worried about her, but she couldn't help herself. She loved that about him, that he was always there for her even in these moments. Finally she found the confidence to look up at him and even a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"Thank you" she whispered. Then she looked at Carina, who was on her way out, and added. "I'm sorry"

"I'll give you two a moment" she replied in a teasing way, what brought all three of them to smile. Carina left the room and closed the door behind her.

"You had me worried" Meredith started.

"I noticed" Andrew looked at her with a grin.

Meredith smiled in return. There it was again. The smile on his face, the smile she hasn't seen the whole day. The one that made her forget everything around her. The one she got lost in her thoughts. She just realized how much she missed that smile. "You look better"

"I feel better, I think I needed the sleep"

"Do you want to tell me what was going on earlier?" Meredith asked carefully.

Andrew hesitated a moment. He didn't really know where to start "To be honest, I'm not really sure. I couldn't sleep the last few days and I think today it just was too much… The dream I had tonight... It was about my dad. I've had it more often lately. I haven't heard from him since… since he left…" he paused and took a deep breath before he continued "Also... my mother's death day is today… so, I think everything at once, was just a bit too much…"

Meredith didn't immediatly find the right words to help him, she knew that even when they had similar issues with their parents, Andrew was much closer to his, than Meredith has ever been to her parents. So she decided to just be there for him. She crawled onto the bed, lying down beside him, resting her head on his chest, still holding his hand.

Andrew knew they would most likely talk about this again. But for now, he appreciated Meredith's company.

They laid there for some time with closed eyes. Just enjoying each other's company. Meredith could feel Andrew's heartbeat, the steady rhythm calmed her. Andrew listened to Meredith's breathing as he caressed her back in circles.

They would have almost fallen asleep if Carina and Alex hadn't come in again.

"Really Mer… this is still a hospital" Alex teased them.

"Shut up" Meredith returned with a smirk. Then she got up, whispering to Andrew. "I think I should…" She didn't have to finish. Andrew already nodded assuring her that it was probably better when she stood up.

Carina just observed the whole thing and couldn't hide her amusement. Finally, a smile came to her face. All the time she wasn't sure what to think about her brother dating his boss. But she could see that he was happy, and that Meredith deeply cared about him. She just wanted the best for her brother.

"Your results are back… we couldn't find anything special, but I would like to keep you here over night..." Alex began.

"I really think it was just the lack of sleep, that caused me to..." Andrew got interrupted by Alex.

"That could be the cause, but I want to be sure. And looking at the faces of your girlfriend and your sister, I think they agree with me. Besides, you're a doctor you would do the same... Take it easy the next few days…" Alex said, then he added with a grin "Doctors are really the worst patients " before he left the room.

* * *

I just noticed that this is already the seventh chapter. Originally I had planned to only write three, but I have to say that it is actually fun to write this. We'll see where this goes. :)

And, as always, I would love to hear your suggestions!


	8. Chapter 8

First of all, thank you for your comments!

(Short summary chapter 1: Zola broke her arm, as a result Meredith panicked; chapter 2: Meredith openes up about her panic attack; chapter 3: Andrew and the kids, Merlex; chapter 4: Mostly Merlex; chapter 5: Andrew tells the kids a story; chapter 6: Andrew doesn't feel well; chapter 7: Andrew passed out; Meredith is worried)

* * *

Andrew is still in the hospital. After he passed out he has to stay there over night.

* * *

Carina and Andrew.

(Meredith had to leave to get home to her kids.)

"Do you want to tell me what happened, too?" Carina asked curious.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were in Italy?" Andrew avoided to answer her question.

"I'm working here. I just went back there for a few weeks, because of our father. And I'm glad to see you, too" she answered a little offended.

"How is he?"

"Not worse than he was before... How are you?" Carine inquired again.

The answer wasn't satisfactory. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or worried. But when he was honest, it could have been worse. His father wasn't fine, but he also wasn't worse than the last years. He thought about telling his sister about his nightmares and that he was worried, but in the end he decided that he didn't want to hear his sister judging him for this. That's why he stayed silent.

Carina noticed that he avoided looking at her, so she tried to break the silence. "Okay then...I heard you and Meredith are living together now"

"Where did you hear that…" he asked.

"Meredith" when she saw Andrew's confused gaze she explained "I talked to her before... when you were sleeping… She said she sent you _home_. And it didn't seem like she meant your place."

Andrew thought about what his sister just said. It was true, Meredith said _home_. And he didn't think about his place. He immediately thought about her house. He got interrupted before he could go further into his thoughts.

"I'm glad you're happy" Carina stated after Andrew didn't answer then she added "And I'm glad you found somebody to talk to"

"Thank you" a surprised smile appeared on his face. He didn't expect his sister to be so supportive of this relationship. "Since when…?" He tried to ask.

"I think I was wrong. I just want the best for you… and I didn't think that… Well, anyway I see how happy she makes you" She smiled at him before Andrew could end his question.

.

_A few minutes later_

Meredith slowly opened the door to Andrew's room. Carina was still in there talking to Andrew.

"What are you doing back here? I thought you were with your kids?" Andrew was surprised when he saw Meredith.

"Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt you. I can wait outside"

"It's okay. We just pass time. What is it?" He smiled at her.

"Well, Ellis wouldn't accept that you weren't coming tonight. She refused to go to bed without a story… I tried to tell one but apparently my stories aren't qualified enough anymore. Zola and Bailey were a bit more cooperative, but they wanted to see you, too… So, I decided to bring them here. Are you up for some visitors?"

"Of course. You know how much I love spending time with them." He answered immediately with a big smile.

Meredith opened the door and her three kids came into the room. Ellis instantly ran over to Andrew "Andrewwww"

"Hello Elle-Belle… Hey, Zola and Bailey" he greeted them and before he could say anything else Ellis already tried to climb onto his bed. He helped her with that and made some space for her so she could sit next to him. Zola and Bailey were also going over to his bed and sat down at the end of it.

Carina was just standing in the room observing the scenario in front of her. Her little brother with the three little kids in his bed, trying to split his attention to all of them. Before she could think about it any longer, she was interrupted by Zola.

"Who are you?" the girl asked curious.

"This is Carina, Zola. She is Andrew's sister." Meredith explained, who stood next to her.

"That's true" Carina reassured smiling at Zola then she added "I think I'll give you some time alone"

"No, you can stay" Zola answered before Carina could leave the room. "Andrew likes you, he told us about you… so, we like you too"

"Okay" she answered glancing amused at Andrew.

Zola turned back to Andrew and started to tell him about her day and how she could not attend her PE class, because of her broken arm.

.

When the three finished talking about their day Bailey requested, looking at Carina "Can you tell us a story about Andrew"

"I'm not sure" Carina answered looking in three hopeful faces then she glanced at Andrew, who was staring at her, and finally she added "I think I remember a story I can tell you"

.

Meredith walked over to Andrew "Apparently they have found someone new to tell them stories" she whispered and sat down next to him on a chair.

"I don't know if I agree with their choice" he chuckled.

"Oh, I think it's an excellent choice they made. As much as I love listening to yours. I actually think this could be very interesting." Meredith teased Andrew.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of" Andrew stated with a smile.

.

Ellis snuggled up to Andrew. Zola and Bailey made themselves comfortable at the end of his bed, while Carina was still standing in front of them not quite sure how to handle this situation. She finally decided to sit down on a chair next to them, before she started with her story. She told them how Andrew accidentally triggered the fire alarm when they were on vacation.

.

"You never told me you triggered a fire mission before" Meredith said in amusement to Andrew.

"Not something I'm proud of, but I think I'm not the only one, who was responsible for a fire mission" he smiled at her in return and both had to laugh.

"Am I missing something?" Carina asked confused.

"There might have been an incident at Jackson's party… And it could be possible that we were responsible for that" Meredith answered smiling slightly.

"Looks like you have something in common" Carina shook her head in amusement.

.

_An hour later_ (Carina left to give them some time alone)

"Okay, kids we need to go now. We can't stay here all night" Meredith motivated her kids to get up. After only Zola and Bailey showed a reaction, she added "Ellis, you too, come on"

"I think she can't hear you" Andrew stated, pointing at his ears and then at Ellis, who laid next to him covering her ears.

"I think she can hear me very well; I think she just doesn't want to hear me. Am I right Ellis?" Meredith said amused and Ellis and Bailey started laughing.

"Whatever you say." Andrew defended the little one.

"Oh, so, you are on her side?"

"I mean, how could I not" then he turned to Ellis "Hey, Elle-Belle…" he tickled her to get her attention "I think your mommy wants to go"

"But I want to stay" she resisted.

"I think that's not possible."

"I only go if you can come home with us"

"Well, I agree with you on that one, I would love to come with you…" he looked at Meredith.

She shook her head slightly, smiling amused. Normally she would have been more consequent with Ellis, when she once again tried to get what she wanted by pretending she couldn't hear and see her mother. But this situation was just too cute. Her youngest daughter lying next to Andrew, refusing to go home without him.

After Andrew had realized that there was no chance in convincing Meredith that he could leave the hospital today he turned his attention back to Ellis "Okay Ellis, I really think you need to go now. I would love to come with you, but it's not possible… And you need to get some sleep... But tomorrow I will come and make you some European pancakes for dinner. Alright?"

"Okay" Ellis sighed with a small smile and stood up.

* * *

I already have some ideas for the next chapters. I'm not sure how they'll turn out, but we'll see... :)


	9. Chapter 9

(Short summary chapter 1: Zola broke her arm, as a result Meredith panicked; chapter 2: Meredith opened up about her panic attack; chapter 3: Andrew and the kids, Merlex; chapter 4: Mostly Merlex; chapter 5: Andrew told the kids a story; chapter 6: Andrew didn't feel well; chapter 7: Andrew passed out; Meredith is worried; chapter 8: Carina, Meredith and the kids visited Andrew in the hospital) (And, I don't own Grey's Anatomy)

* * *

_The next day_ (Andrew was discharged from the hospital)

(Andrew fulfilled his promise. He made European pancakes for dinner like he promised Ellis the day before. When they finished, they put the kids to bed.)

"How are you feeling?" Meredith asked when they were in the kitchen again.

She had asked him before in the hospital, when he was discharged. He said he was fine, but they haven't really had much time, because she had to go into surgery. Besides she had the feeling that he wanted to say something else. In the beginning she thought she just imagined that there was more to this story, but the feeling didn't let her go. So, she decided to ask him again this evening, when they had time to talk in peace.

"Everything alright?" Meredith asked again when she saw Andrew's smile became a more serious expression after her previous question. It seemed like he wanted to say something, so she tried to encourage him "Hey, just say it". She gave him a slight smile and walked a few steps in his direction until she stood in front of him. She took his hand in hers and could see how he relaxed a bit.

Andrew didn't know where to start, he wasn't sure how he should tell her this. After a few seconds of silence and just looking at each other, he took a deep breath and then finally started "I think I have to go to Italy for a few days… I… I think I need to see that my father is alright myself… I know Carina said he is, and I want to believe her but… I can't stop…."

Meredith squeezed his hand trying to comfort him, she noticed that he tried to explain himself and she wanted him to know that she could understand it "You don't have to justify yourself; he is your father…" Then she rested her head on his chest and laid her arms around his waist.

She knew Andrew had a stronger relationship to his dad than she had to her father. She knew it was important to him to see his father especially since it caused him to have trouble sleeping. Even when he said he was fine before, and she believed him that he felt better, could she feel that he was still a little tense. She didn't want to see him suffer; she wanted him to see his father. But on the other side did she not want him to be alone, or better said, she wanted to be with him. But it wasn't possible, she couldn't fly with him to Italy, she had to work, and she needed to stay with her kids… And there was the next problem he had to fly on a plane. It was years ago since _the_ plane crash, and she managed to fly again herself, but she would be lying if the thought of Andrew being on a plane wouldn't scare her. She didn't really notice that she hugged him even tighter by this thought, but maybe this was what she needed at this moment.

Andrew laid his arms around her, placing a kiss on her head as if he could read her thoughts. After a few seconds he added "I won't be away long. Just a few days… And I'll text you as soon as I land" It might sound like an unnecessary thing to say, but he knew that she needed to hear this. And he could feel how this calmed her.

Meredith looked up at him and a little smile appeared on her lips. "Call me… call me when you land"

Andrew nodded reassuringly. Then he took a strand of hair, which hung loosely in front of her face and put it behind her ear. He caressed her cheek before he leaned towards her to kiss her. His other hand still holding her close to him.

Meredith was grateful. Grateful for how Andrew understood her. That he didn't judge her for being worried more than she probably had to. That he accepted her the way she was. She loved how she felt comfortable around him and she already missed him by the thought of him going to Italy.

"When do you leave?" she suddenly asked pulling away a bit, so she could look at him.

"I think tomorrow… I know its short term… But I think the earlier the better… Also, I will be back sooner" He looked at her, tilting his head a bit before he added smirking slightly "I'll be back before you notice I was away"

"I doubt that" She answered with a little smile, before she got a little more serious and continued "I already miss you"

Andrew pulled her closer again placing another kiss at her lips.

It was interesting, she thought, how quickly he became so important to her.

* * *

I already miss Grey's. I loved their last scene in the finale; but with him being in jail and Meredith probably going to turn herself in... I just need the next episodes...! :)

I really hope there will be a few more fanfics about them until season 16 starts.

* * *

Unfortunately, I do not really have much time to write at the moment. I have a presentation next week, so hopefully I'll have more time as soon as the presentation is over. :)

Also, as always, suggestions, comments, ideas are welcome.


	10. Chapter 10

First, thank you for your comments. ( I had no idea what or how to write the next chapter... So, thanks to _worldofmarine_ for mentioning the phone call in your comment :) That gave me an idea for this chapter)

(I know I said I have no time to write right now, but I did not feel like learning, so I kept writing. :))

For further notes, see at the end. (I don't own Grey's Anatomy)

* * *

(Short summary chapter 1: Zola broke her arm, as a result Meredith panicked; chapter 2: Meredith opened up about her panic attack; chapter 3: Andrew and the kids, Merlex; chapter 4: Mostly Merlex; chapter 5: Andrew told the kids a story; chapter 6: Andrew didn't feel well; chapter 7: Andrew passed out; Meredith is worried; chapter 8: Carina, Meredith and the kids visited Andrew in the hospital; chapter 9: Andrew told Meredith that he wants to fly to Italy for a few days)

* * *

Meredith was lying in her bed. Sleepless. She was waiting for Andrew's call; he's going to land in a few minutes. It was already 2 a.m. and she tried to sleep the past hours, but she was way too tense and nervous to actually get some rest. Before Andrew left, she made him promise that he would call her as soon as possible. He offered to call her in the morning when she had to stand up, so he wouldn't wake her up in the middle of the night. But Meredith knew herself too well, that's why she insisted that he calls her when he will have landed in Italy.

Now she sat there in her bed, her mobile phone in her hands, starring at the clock on it, waiting for the time to pass. Actually, waiting for his call. As the time passes by, she feels how she gets more nervous. She tries not to let the thoughts, about all the possible things, which could happen, come into her head. Right at the moment, when she was about to fail following her plan and she started worrying, her phone rang. It was Andrew. She managed to accept the call before it rang a second time. To be honest it wasn't that hard, because she was waiting for it and literally had her hands on her phone the whole time, so she could answer him immediately.

"Hey, Are you alright?" Meredith asked curious.

"Wow. Hey, you picked up quickly…" Andrew was a bit surprised when he had Meredith on the phone just seconds after he called her. After a moment he continued "Yes, I'm fine"

"Good" Meredith let out a relieved breath. She hadn't realized that she held her breath the last minutes.

"Are you okay?" he was a little worried when he heard her breathing loudly.

"I'm now." A smile appeared on Meredith face. And even if Andrew could not see it, he could hear it in her voice. "How was your flight?" she added after a moment.

"It was actually very quiet. I slept through half of it. I just woke up half an hour ago, short before we landed"

"Sleep sounds good…. But I don't know how you do it. I could never sleep on a plane."

"I know"

Meredith knew, Andrew couldn't possibly understand what that plane crash did to her. And she didn't blame him. It was quite the opposite. Even if he could not _really_ know what it felt like to be in a plane crash, he was always understanding and not judging her for her fears. She appreciated that he believed the things she told him about this. That he listened to her and accepted her with all her fears. That he never tried to fix her, because there was no way he could, but instead tried to make her feel more comfortable.

After a few seconds he continued "I think I'll let you sleep now. After I can assume you haven't slept yet. I'll call you in the morning again"

"What makes you think I haven't slept?"

"Mer, nobody can answer a call that quickly like you did unless _this_ person was waiting for _this_ call. Also, I know you well enough. I figured that you probably wouldn't sleep until I call you… So, now you can get some rest and when you stand up in the morning, I'll call you and the kids."

"Okay… fine"

"Good night, Mer. Sleep well"

"Thank you…and…" She paused for a moment. _Wait, he is in Italy, so it isn't evening there. How many hours where between them? Eight? Ten? No, it was nine, wasn't it? Either way, It wasn't evening… it was… morning over there._ "…and good morning, I guess"

Andrew had to chuckle. Even if he couldn't see Meredith, while she was trying to figure out what time it was in Italy, he could hear how she was mumbling to herself. Also, she needed a while to figure it out. But maybe that was, because it was already 2:30 a.m. and she hasn't slept yet.

"Yes… Good Night, Mer"

"Andrew… I love you" Suddenly Meredith felt like she needed to tell him. She had thought about him, about their relationship for the past few hours. She realized how much she already missed him even when he was just gone for half a day. She knew for a while that she was falling for him and that she couldn't do anything against it. And she didn't want to change that. She was happy. But some part of her was afraid of it. The small part of her that still loves and will always love Derek. That's why she never said it to him before. But the last couple of weeks and days her feelings for Andrew grew. When she saw him taking care of her kids. When he cooked for the whole family. When he told them stories about Italy and when he took care of her. She could take care of herself, for sure. She didn't need someone to do it. But she would be lying if she said that she didn't like how he cared about her. Actually, she loved it. She loved how he made her feel when he was around. She hasn't felt so comfortable around someone in a long time.

And what she loved even more, that he accepted her the way she was, that he never pushed her. She was thankful that he was so patient. He gave her all the time she needed. She knew about his feelings. Even when he never said these three words to her. She knew. He expressed them in other words. The 'I miss you' or 'I just need you' were his way of telling her how he felt about her. And, she was thankful, that he didn't say the three little words back then, because it might have been too early for her to hear them. And maybe she would have run away… And she was almost sure that he knew this and that this was the reason he never said directly what he felt. But now she was ready or at least a lot more than she was back then. It still scared her a bit. But she needed him to know that she felt the same.

"I love you too"

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Notes:

First: I decided to let Meredith say I love you first, because I just liked the idea of her saying it first. :) (But I think in the show it was good that Andrew said it, because if he hadn't, we would have to wait a lot longer for her to finally face her feelings for him. And, I also think it was very well written, that she didn't say it back immediately. (even if I would have loved it) I think it was neccessary for her to think/talk about it first and then to face what she really feels for Andrew. And in the end she said it back, so, I'm happy) Okay, back to this story. Meredith said it first, but she said it at a later time than the 'I love you's' in the series. Because I think she needed some time to finally "admit/accept" that she really loves him. (That she can love someone else than Derek)

Second: I let her say 'I love you' over a phone call. I think it's similar to the show. She does love him and she wants him to know, but she tells him at a point, where she still has time to deal with it. Not because she isn't sure about her feelings. But more, because it's a big step for her to even say 'I love you' to someone else after Derek. So, she told him and now she has time until Andrew comes home to deal with it.

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So, there will be one more chapter, but I think after that I'll take a break from this story until I have new ideas.

But, I thought about writing some one shots or maybe a different story in the meanwhile. Depends a little on how much time I have the next weeks.


	11. Chapter 11

Hey, I finally finished this chapter. It turned out completely different than I imagined it, but I'm glad I finally finished writing it. :)

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(Short summary chapter 1: Zola broke her arm, as a result Meredith panicked; chapter 2: Meredith opened up about her panic attack; chapter 3: Andrew and the kids, Merlex; chapter 4: Mostly Merlex; chapter 5: Andrew told the kids a story; chapter 6: Andrew didn't feel well; chapter 7: Andrew passed out; Meredith is worried; chapter 8: Carina, Meredith and the kids visited Andrew in the hospital; chapter 9: Andrew told Meredith that he wants to fly to Italy for a few days; chapter 10: Andrew calls Meredith, when he landed in Italy, Meredith told him that she loves him)

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_"I love you" (Meredith)_

_"I love you too" (Andrew)_

_Did she really say these three little words._ Andrew put his phone back in his pocket, while he tried to figure out where he could get his baggage back. Usually that wasn't a problem, he knew the airport in Rome, he was there several times before. But today. Today was different. The most important person…. For a moment he wondered when that happened. Not even a year ago, they barely knew each other. And now… now he was in love with her. Since Jo's and Alex's wedding his feelings for her grew from day to day. And he knew for a while that he loved her, that he never felt that way about anyone else. That there was something that he never felt in his prior relationships. And not only that. No. Meredith just told him that she loved him.

He wanted to tell her so often the last weeks. When they spent the night together or when they were just holding hands. Somehow that became a thing between them. And he didn't want it to change. It was a perfect way to be near her when it wasn't the right time for something more. Or when they kissed… With every kiss he was even more sure about his feelings. Or in all those little moments when they just stared at each other. When they spent the evening watching a movie with her kids. He loved observing her with her kids. Or when he got more integrated and they brought the kids to bed together. When he told all of them a story and she just sat there giggling at the things he told them. That giggle. And then when the kids where asleep and she just smiled at him. In these moments he was almost sure that she felt the same, but he never said it. Because he wasn't sure if she was ready to hear it. And now, now she told him that she loves him.

_In the morning (Seattle)_

"Mommy, why are you still sleeping?" Bailey asked opening Meredith door with Zola and Ellis standing behind him.

"Hey, you three. Come in here. Why are you already up?" Meredith answered sleepily not really sure what was going on.

The kids went over to Meredith to give her a good morning hug while Zola informed her that it was already time to stand up "It's 9 a.m.. We're always up at this time at the weekend. Why aren't you?"

"Oh…" It took Meredith a few seconds to realize that she was the one who was late. "I was up very late and… I think I overslept…"

"What were you doing?" Bailey asked curious.

"Well, you know Andrew had to fly to Italy… And he called me when he landed there. And because of the time difference it was already night here."

"I miss Andrew. When will he be back?" Bailey wondered.

"I miss him too. But he won't be gone long. He said he'll be back soon" after a moment she added "Why don't you go downstairs and I'll meet you there in 5 minutes and then we'll make breakfast?"

"Mommy, since when do you make breakfast? You hate cooking!" Zola was curious.

"I don't know, I feel like I want to cook today. You can help me. I think you know already more than me. You all helped Andrew so often!"

Her kids started to giggle and left her room. They were already on her way down, when she got up and put on some clothes others than her pajamas. Zola was right she hated cooking, but today. Today was different. The last weeks she thought a lot about Andrew and how much he meant to her. And, yes, she was scared of telling him. She wasn't someone, who says these words to everyone. There was just one Person besides Andrew she said these words to. So, it was a big step for her to say them to someone else than her husband. But the last weeks she knew that she found her second love and it took her a while to face her fears. But now she knew it was worth it, she was still a bit scared and she'll always be. It's in her nature. But she somehow feels relieved and happy that she said them again. And it felt even better to hear them again. And to know that there was someone who truly loved and cared about her. So, today she will try to use this happiness and make breakfast for her kids.

_2 days later_

Andrew had landed a few hours ago. He already called Meredith to let her know he was fine. He went to Meredith's house right away. He was a little tense. He missed her so much and he couldn't wait to see her and the kids again. But, there was also the other thing. She told him that she loved him and now it was the first time they saw each other after these words. And somehow, he was excited. He stood in front of the door to her house and before he was able to ring the bell one of her kids already opened the door. It was Ellis. And not even a second later she was around his leg hugging him.

"Hey Elle-Belle"

A short moment later the rest of the family was at the door and greeted him. Bailey came with a cake they baked for Andrew. On the cake was written 'We missed you Andrew'. And from the writing he assumed that every word was written by someone else. He tried to figure out which part was written by whom. Most likely Ellis wrote 'We' because it was the shortest one. And he knew that she can't write yet. And he has to smile when he imagined her insisting to write something, too. Because by now, he knew that Ellis hated it, if she was left out. The 'missed' was written by Bailey he thought. He knew his handwriting from helping him with his homework. And of course, he knew Meredith's handwriting. So, the 'you' he could easily assign to her. And the last word 'Andrew' was written by Zola. He knew that, because Zola wrote the first letter of his name swinging. He had seen these swinging letters before on cards or pictures Zola has drawn for her mother, when she was younger.

Andrew was overwhelmed by the welcoming and couldn't stop smiling at them.

When they were all inside and kids went back to the kitchen it was Meredith's turn to greet him. She wasn't able to say something because she was so relieved and happy that he was finally back. She just pulled him into a hug . After a few seconds she looked up at him and kissed him. Her hands around his neck.

She eventually found her words again "We really missed you"

"I missed _you_, too" He emphasized the 'you 'what made Meredith smile.

"You noticed?"

"That you wrote the 'you'? Of course I did" he smiled at her and then he added "Thank you, and your kids. That was really a great surprise!"

"Well, it was the idea of the kids. They love 'you'… And… I love 'you'."

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So, I think this was the last part of this story... At least for now... I hope you liked it :) I know there is a lot to improve from grammar to my writing style... and more, but I hope it wasn't too bad :)


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